Some non-limiting examples of elastic supports of the above-cited type are constituted by cushions, seats, seat backs, arm rests, chair paddings, sofas and other furniture, mattresses, patient's supports, bicycle and motorcycle seats, glove and shoe paddings, such as innersoles, insoles and malleolar pads, knee pads, elbow pads, protective inserts for overalls.backslash.suits and similar items.
From the Italian patent IT-A-1 270 728 in the name of the same applicant there is known an integral elastic support comprising a filler in elastically yielding material covered by an external covering layer in flexible laminar material. The filler is formed by a layer of expanded resin to which a layer of a gel compound is overlaid and chemically bound, located in zones which are subjected to the maximum pressure on the part of the user, for example in proximity to the ischiatic bones. The external covering layer may be provided as a natural or synthetic material, for example as a multilayer formed by a fabric impregnated by PVC and covered by a film of polyurethane resin.
It is known that the use of a gel compound for providing a filler layer confers an increased comfort with respect to the layers of traditional material and increases the quality of the product even if at increased costs for the user.
Unfortunately, this characteristic, which constitutes an attraction to the clientele, is often the object of misleading advertising on the part of manufacturers without scruples who claim the use of the gel compound but who in fact introduce other materials below the covering of the support so as to impede the consumer from carrying out a control. The requirement therefore arises to provide consumers with a direct proof of the actual use of compound gel in the event that its presence is claimed by the manufacturer.
A further problem is constituted by the fact that, for ornamental or advertising requirements, it is often necessary to apply designs, writings or trademarks of various kinds and colourings to the external surface of the covering. In some cases there may be asked for a personalisation of such writings or ornamental elements in order to satisfy the requirements of the clientele.
A drawback of such known supports is that the cited ornamental elements are generally serigraphed, printed, or applied to the external surface of the covering and therefore may be subjected to deterioration due to the rubbing on the part of the user or due to the effects of atmospheric agents.
Moreover, the aesthetic effect obtained with the traditional serigraphy or offset systems is rather ordinary and does not allow to effectively differentiate or personalise the products present on the market.
Some attempts to apply two-dimensional or three-dimensional, and rigid or semirigid, ornamental elements on the external surface of the supports have not had success in that they have demonstrated reduction in comfort for the user.
ln conclusion, up until today there is lacking an identification and ornamental system which is truly innovative.